Before Tuesday, Kentucky’s Nerlens Noel was dominant in the paint.
Noel entered Tuesday’s contest against the Gators leading the NCAA with 4.5 blocks per game and averaging nearly a double-double with 10.6 points and 9.6 rebounds.
Utilizing his length and athleticism, the freshman had helped the Wildcats hold opposing teams to 40.6 percent shooting on attempts inside the arc.
But Noel did not rattle junior Patric Young on Tuesday night.
“I tried to come into the game saying, ‘It’s just another game. It’s another good big man. I’m going to come in and do the best I can and do my job, keep him off the boards and just run the floor,’” Young said.
Tuesday’s matchup was not just another game for Young. He recorded 12 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks in No. 7 Florida’s 69-52 win against No. 25 Kentucky in the O’Connell Center.
“When he gives incredible effort, plays with a really good motor, [Young’s] capable of getting double-doubles every night,” Donovan said.
Noel scored only eight points in 23 minutes before leaving the game with 8:03 remaining after suffering an ACL tear in his left knee.
Young, who averaged 6.6 boards per game heading into Tuesday, outrebounded Noel 10-6 before the UK center’s early exit.
Young drew two of the three fouls called against Noel. The freshman center sat the final 6:26 of the first half after picking up his second.
In 24 minutes, Young made 5 of 7 attempts from the field.
All of his field goals came within a few feet of the basket. Florida took only 14 three-point attempts — its second-lowest total this year — as it found success penetrating the paint and shooting 51.2 percent on two-point attempts.
“We knew that Nerlens was able to block a lot of shots and not only block them, but just alter them and make you think about, ‘Oh, he’s coming to block my shot help side,’” Young said. “So we knew today that if we attack the basket, you had to go up aggressive.”
After picking up a foul less than 2 minutes into the game, Young did not commit one for the remainder of the contest.
A handful of acrobatic plays highlighted his performance.
Young’s most impressive offensive play was a reverse layup with 19:33 remaining. After receiving a bounce pass from senior forward Erik Murphy, Young curled around Noel in the post to find net.
But Young’s defense earned air time on ESPN’s SportsCenter with one of the top 10 plays on Tuesday.
After Wildcats guard Archie Goodwin stole the ball from Young, the UF center chased Goodwin down the lane and rejected his layup.
“My favorite kind of block is when I get to chase somebody down from behind, and they don’t see me coming, and I smack it,” Young said. “I was able to do that a few times.”
Fatigue has been an issue for Young throughout his career, but he ran the floor well on Tuesday.
At the 12:10 mark of the second half, Young dashed to the other end and beat Noel on a layup to put the Gators ahead 53-38.
Young’s teammates fed off his intensity.
“It just felt like he was laying it all on the line for our team,” guard Mike Rosario said. “That’s what we need out of our big guy.”
Center Patric Young (4) attempts a layup during UF’s 69-52 win against UK on Tuesday in the O’Connell Center.
